Sword of the Soul
by half-demon priestess
Summary: Rukia was to slow to protect Ichigo from the hollow that attacked his family forcing Isshin to step in. Ichigo's without powers as a substitute shinigami he's getting help from an unlikely person... NelXIchi HIGHLY POSSIBLE!
1. Hollow beginnings

Sword of the Soul

Sword of the Soul

Chapter one: Hollow beginnings

Fifteen year old Kurosaki Ichigo lay awake in his bed staring at he ceiling, listening as his father and younger sisters ate dinner in the dinning room. 'I just don't get it… Why couldn't anyone see that monster that attacked this morning? Why couldn't they but that girl with the sword-?'

Ichigo felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 'What is this… this feeling? It feels just like before…' Ichigo sat up and turned to see the same girl from this morning walk through the wall to stand on his table.

"It's you! What the hell are you doing here?" The girl ignored him and looked around the room.

"I can sense the hollow nearby…" The girl began pulling out her sword as she observed the room. "Now, where is it?" Ichigo backed up against the wall.

"W-what the hell do you think your doing? Put that thing away already!" The girl ignored him and floated gently to the floor.

"It seems a large amount of spiritual energy is-huh?" Ichigo's foot connected with her behind sending her across the room.

"What the hell do you think your doing? You know for a burglar you're a really bad one, for starters you shouldn't talk to yourself so…" The girl spun around in confusion.

"Wait, you can see me?" Ichigo stopped his rant and looked down his nose at her.

"Considering that was just my foot I planted in your behind answer that question for yourself!" In an instant she got up from the floor and gripped his face turning him at odd angles.

"How strange, ordinary humans cannot see me. You must be defective somehow…" Ichigo felt his blood boil.

"I'll show you defective you little…" Ichigo lifted his foot and kicked at her angrily; she easily jumped over him and pushed him down to the ground. Ichigo groaned in pain, his face sported a large red mark where his face had met the floor. "God dammit…"

Five minutes later:

Ichigo rubbed his face in a futile attempt to dull the pain, he half heartedly listened to the girl as she explained about soul reapers and hollows. 'I'm getting really ticked off with that attitude of hers…'

"Alright so let me get this straight, you're a soul reaper from a place called the soul society and it's you're duty to stop monsters like the one this morning that attacked that young girls soul?" The soul reaper girl nodded. "Right, that's what I thought you said… Sure, I can believe that-JUST LIKE FLYING PIGS AND THE TOOTH FAIRY!" Ichigo threw his table across the room over her head.

The soul reaper got to her feet. "What do you mean you don't believe me?" Ichigo crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "You have the ability to see spirits you should know I'm telling the truth!"

"No offence but I don't believe in things I can't see!" She frowned.

"Well you see me don't you?" Ichigo shrugged and opened his eyes.

"That's true and I definitely agree that you're not human…" Ichigo placed his hand on her forehead and roughly shook her head back and forth. "Why don't you just go play you little soul reaper game somewhere else? Alright kid?" She grinned wolfishly; she made small movement of her hands and a chant he didn't understand and suddenly Ichigo felt his arms wrap around behind him and sent him to reunite with the floor. Ichigo struggled to raise his head. She smiled at him.

"That was a kido; it is a high level enchantment only soul reapers like me can perform. Struggle all you like but it won't do you any good…" Ichigo urged his body to move and felt something keeping his arms locked together.

"Why you little…" The soul reaper once again ignored him and from her robe she pulled out a black marker and drew a moustache on his face. Ichigo screamed at the indignity as she turned to face the window. She played with the marker in question with her right hand.

"Now that I have your attention let's continue now shall we? I'll even use small words so you can understand what I'm saying…"

Ichigo glared at the raven haired soul reaper as she continued her long winded explanation. With the marker she had used to graffiti his face she drew many ridiculous drawings to go with it. After what seemed like hours she finally sighed and looked at him expectantly.

"Any questions so far?" Ichigo opened his mouth to make a rude comment but froze. A shrill howl ripped through the air sending shivers down his spine.

"Do you hear that?" She looked at him confused.

"Hear what?" Ichigo's eyebrow twitched.

"What? Something's howling outside!" She frowned slightly.

"Howling is it?" Another howl ripped through the air and the soul reaper spun around. "Now I hear it!"

"It's about bloody time!"

"How did it get so close without me sensing it? Normally I have no trouble tracking down hollows but…" She glanced over at him. "Could it be…?"

Suddenly the house shook and a large crash sounded throughout the house, Ichigo looked over at the door in fear. "That came from the kitchen! My family is in there!" The soul reaper ran and opened the door before coming to a halt. "What the hell is wrong with you women? Unite me already! I have to go see if their alright!"

"I've never sensed a hollow with so much power before, how could I have not sensed it sooner?"

Yuzu limped through the hallway to the door; before she tripped and fell to the floor. "Yuzu, are you alright?" His sister looked towards him and reached out.

"Ichigo, you've got to help Karin… That thing got her…" Yuzu's eyes drooped and she passed out. The soul reaper ran straight passed her and down the stairs as she drew her sword. Stubbornly, Ichigo lifted himself off the floor and gingerly stepped past Yuzu. After all that had just happened he didn't wan to step on her too.

Once he was clear of Yuzu, Ichigo thudded down the stairs. His foot caught on the banister causing him to fall down the rest of the stair case. He rolled on the floor until he hit the wall painfully. The soul reaper turned to glare at him briefly before attacking the hollow with her sword.

"You idiot, what do you think you're doing?"

Ichigo slowly pulled himself to his feet as he took in his surroundings. Another monster like the one he'd seen this morning gripped Karin's unconscious body. 'That bastard…' Ichigo felt something inside him snap; strangely he didn't feel enraged but he did feel something bubbling up for under his skin. It was almost a pleasant feeling… but around him he could feel the soul reapers kido binding him, it chafed at his skin irritatingly. Ichigo bit his lip concentrating. 'Think… there has to be something I can do… Do something…' Unconsciously something inside him agreed and began to burst from his skin, ripping at the kido.

The soul reaper jumped back from the hollow and glared at him again. "Stop it! No human can break a kido; you'll damage your soul if you keep trying!" Ichigo bit his lip harder. 'Break…' Obediently the power continued to increase. For a moment Ichigo thought he could see words written in light wrapped around him but he didn't stop. He felt the kido release and his arms fell to his sides in relief.

The soul reaper looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"You… broke the kido…" Ichigo glared at her.

"Well I wouldn't have had to break it if you had just taken it off in the first place!"

"**How annoying you are, it would have been so easy to devour a bound human… At least I know now, you are the delicious soul I've been looking for!"** Ichigo turned to look back at the hollow in surprise but then it howled again. Ichigo yelled out in pain as the sound ripped through his ears. He placed his hands over his ears in a vain attempt at blocking the noise out.

The hollow charged towards him dropping Karin without another thought. Ichigo closed his eyes and lifted his arms up to cover his face as it ran straight past the soul reaper and knocked her to the ground.

The sound of bone meeting steel rung through the air and Ichigo could feel the hollows foul breath on his face. The smell of blood was almost overwhelming to his senses but mixed within was the smell of something he didn't recognise. Ichigo timidly opened his eyes to see the hollow ripped in half. Ichigo's traitorous legs buckled in relief causing him to fall to the floor. The blood soaked his clothes but he didn't mind, the hollow began to dissolve into light before disappearing entirely.

A warm hand gripped his shoulder tightly, confused Ichigo turned to look at the person behind him.

"Are you alright son?" Ichigo felt his eyes bulged as he looked at his father; he had the same black robe on as the soul reaper except the tattered remnants of a white jacket sat from his shoulder.

"Dad, what's going on?" Isshin looked at his son impatiently.

"Answer the question Ichigo!" Ichigo nodded dumbly.

"I think so…" Isshin leaned down to whisper in Ichigo's ear.

"Listen to me Ichigo; take Karin to your mother's grave…" Ichigo looked at him in surprise.

"But… She and Yuzu are hurt! We need to get a doctor or…" Isshin tightened his grip on his shoulder.

"Ichigo, just go… I'll bring Yuzu soon, that soul reaper is already gone. She'll bring more back and they'll be coming after us now that she's seen me like this. Soul reapers don't keep track of where people are buried so they won't think to look for you there…" He sighed sadly. "Hurry Ichigo…" Isshin let go of Ichigo's shoulder and ran up the stairs.

Isshin ran up the stairs with his sword still in hand, Ichigo got to his feet and ran over to Karin. He shook her gently.

"Karin wake up…" Karin moaned quietly but didn't wake up.

"Ichigo get the hell out of here now! They're already arriving!" Ichigo scooped Karin up in his arms and began running out the hole in wall. Ichigo ran down the road as quickly as he could. Pieces of broken glass bit into his feet painfully through his socks.

Tenth division captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya caught a glimpse of bright orange hair running of in the distance as he immerged from the portal.

"Abarai and Matsumoto come with me! We'll capture the escaping fugitives, Captain Unohana and Kuchiki will deal with Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya jumped out the window to follow the boy.

Hitsugaya quickly began catching up to the boy in front of him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo stop immediately! You are under arrest by the thirteen protection squads!" Ichigo looked back at him momentarily.

"Yeah right, I'm not going to give into an elementary school midget like you!" Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched and the temperature dropped ten degrees.

"I am not a super midget!" Ichigo poked his tongue out at the captain as he continued to run.

"Looks like I hit a nerve, I never went that far shortie!" Hitsugaya disappeared. Ichigo whirled around in surprise seeing his pursuer disappear. "What? Where did he go?"

Hitsugaya reappeared behind Ichigo.

"Behind you… bakudo 61 rikujokoro…" Six bright yellow became imbedded in Ichigo's midsection. Karin fell out of Ichigo's bound arms to the ground. Ichigo swung his head around to see Hitsugaya's bright blue/green eyes glaring up at him. "Lieutenant Abarai remove his soul while he's bound. I don't want him escaping from the bakudo like he did Rukia Kuchiki's." The red haired man advanced on Ichigo pulling on a glove with a skull symbol on it.

"Relax kid this won't hurt!" Ichigo squirmed in the binding.

"What the hell are you going to do to me?" The man didn't reply and his gloved hand descended on Ichigo. As his soul was pushed out of his body Ichigo began to black out, he was barely awake as he fell back into the third soul reaper's arms. 'Sorry Karin…' Ichigo was soon passed out in the female soul reaper's arms.


	2. Escape!

Chapter Two: Escape

Chapter Two: Escape!

Suddenly Ichigo felt like his entire body was on fire. Ichigo tried to open his eyes, the pain made moving even such a small part of his body extremely difficult.

"W-what happened…?" Dully he realised someone was holding him in their arms.

"Captain he's waking up! What am I supposed to do?"

"Matsumoto just don't let him get hurt, his soul chain's been severed so he won't be able to escape, once we finished staging the scene we'll leave!"

Slowly the pain in Ichigo's body began to fade and he found himself able to move. Ichigo opened his eyes slowly; his vision was blurred at the edges. 'Why am I in dad's room?' His sisters pale face's caught his eye; they were lying on the bed. The red haired soul reaper stood between him and his sisters, looking very board.

"Karin, Yuzu wake up!" His sisters didn't respond they were both out cold. "What the hell did you do to them?" The red haired man glared at him.

"That's enough from you boy! Don't you realise what's going on! Look at the chain on you're chest, it has been severed! Do you know what that means?" Ichigo looked down; sticking out of his chest was a chain just like the one's he'd seen on spirits he'd seen before. 'Does this mean I'm… dead?' The red haired man smirked. "So you do realise huh? You're human life is over from now on, now you are a soul reaper for the 13 protection squads." Ichigo growled in annoyance.

"Like hell I am! You attack my family for no reason and you think I'll work for you! Ha, you're dumber than you look pineapple head!" The man gripped his soul chain tightly and pulled him out of Matsumoto's grip. His grip on Ichigo's soul chain was the only thing keeping him standing.

"Listen kid, maybe you didn't do anything but you're father did! He abandoned his post years ago and it's a crime for any soul reaper to fraternise with humans. You and your sisters are proof of his sins! If we left you here you'd draw millions of hollows here that will want to devour your soul! Captain Ukitake was smart enough to pull some strings so you will work to repay us for your father's crimes; they were going to execute him but now-!"

"Renji, that's enough!" Renji blinked in surprise.

"Matsumoto what's the matter? This idiot's got to understand that there will be no discussion on this. He'll be serving the protection squad for…Ack!" Matsumoto smacked him in the back of the head. Renji dropped Ichigo's soul chain and Ichigo fell to the floor.

"Just leave him be Renji! He's going to have to spend too much time to think about that later on, let him have a moment of peace before that happens! We know that none them were aware of any of this before tonight, so don't drop any more of this onto his shoulders!"

"What does it matter if he knows?"

"You're just upset because Rukia left earlier!"

Ichigo pulled himself of the floor by grabbing onto the door handle. The two arguing soul reapers ignored him. 'Karin, Yuzu, just wait for me… I promise I'll come back with help…' Ichigo quietly made his way out the door before shutting it behind him. Ichigo hazarded a look down the stairs. 'What the hell did they do?'

The bottom floor of the house was a blood bath, all the furniture was thrown around or destroyed. Ichigo snuck down the stairs through the living room.

"_Once we finished staging the scene we'll leave"_

"_You're human life is over from now on, now you are a soul reaper for the 13 protection squads"_

'They really do mean to keep us… We're going to be dead to the world…' Ichigo walked through the rooms trying not to look at the horrors around him.

"Looks like this is finished..."

"So it would seem, now that Kurosaki Isshin has been taken back to the society, we just need to take his children and this will be over with." Ichigo listened to the soul reapers coming closer. 'Shit, I have to get out of here!'

Ichigo ran towards the door, not looking where he was going his foot caught something on the floor. 'Oh shit not now!' A bright flash of light blinded his vision and Ichigo blacked out once again.


	3. Lone Survivor!

Chapter Three: Lone Survivor

Chapter Three: Lone Survivor!

"Ichigo, wake up! Please, wake up!" Groggily Ichigo felt someone shaking him, the voice screaming at him seemed familiar. 'Keigo…? What's he doing here? Did they capture him too, there's no way those soul reapers could have missed me…' The floor was cold and wet. Ichigo struggled to breathe; the smell of blood was overwhelming his senses. "Ichigo don't die on me yet, the ambulance will be here any minute now! Mizuiru called them to come and get you!" Ichigo coughed up blood that clogged his throat. 'Mizuiru's here too… This can't be the Soul Society… Did I get back in my body…? I should be glad I didn't see where I was going then…' Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, thankfully he didn't feel any pain, and his body was wonderfully numb though he knew he should be in searing pain. He was still in his house, for a moment he thought he could see Yuzu but he forced himself to look away. His sisters were already gone…

"S-shut up Keigo…" Ichigo coughed again. "I-I'm a-alright… Karin and Y-Yuzu…" Keigo looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry Ichigo…"

"Keigo they're here!" Ichigo turned his head as much as he could manage. A familiar pair of school shoes came through the door.

"Mizuiru…"

"The kid's still alive!" Ichigo began coughing harshly. 'I never liked paramedics…'

"D-don't sound so su-surprised…"

The paramedics lifted Ichigo onto the stretcher; outside the house was surrounded by police officers. Seeing him one ran up to him, he grabbed onto one of the paramedics.

"Is the kid able to make a statement? With a crime as brutal as this if he isn't going to last we need one now!"

"He can barely breathe properly officer! If he survives this, then you can talk to him! If we wait any longer he will die!" The paramedic shook off the officer.

…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…

Ichigo stared at the hospital's white ceiling sleepily, for the last three days doctors had been running in and out of his room wondering how the hell he was still alive after the punishment his body had taken. The detectives who'd been assigned to his families 'murder' had already come by to interview him and Ichigo was extremely bored. He couldn't bring himself to think about what happened, no-one was allowed to visit him yet and the nurse hovering outside his room made it perfectly clear that if he tried to get out of bed again if the effort didn't kill him she would.

Ichigo felt the air shiver like someone was watching him; the feeling reminded him of a hollow but twisted somehow. Ichigo turned to his head to face the window. Light brown eyes stared at him through the window, long, dull green hair fell down past her shoulders; a hot pink tattoo reached across the bridge of her nose like she was blushing. Ichigo pushed himself to sit up. 'How is she standing on thin air like that?' The woman smiled at him.

The door to his room opened and the nurse walked in.

"Kurosaki-dono, your grand parents are here to see you… What the hell did I tell you about getting up?!" Ichigo spun around to see a very angry nurse. 'Crap…'

"I-I was just… Looking out the window, I wasn't going to get up!" The nurse sighed. Ichigo risked a quick glance back to the window, the woman waved to him before vanishing. 'What the hell was that about?'

"I'll let it go this time… You can come in now, he's awake!" Ichigo's grand mother was in the room in an instant, she quickly grabbed a hold of him sobbing.

"I'm so sorry we couldn't get here sooner Ichigo!" Ichigo nervously patted his grand mother on the head comfortingly. He hadn't seen his grand parents in months; he'd forgotten how emotional she was.

"Dear remember what the doctor told us, you can't try to squeeze the life out of him yet. You might succeed." She let go of Ichigo in hurry, without support Ichigo fell back into the hospital bed with oomph. 'Thank god I think she was about to break my ribs!'

"I'm so sorry dear…"

"It's alright, nothings broken… err-more broken anyway…" Ichigo returned to staring at the ceiling. He didn't want to look at either of his grand parents right now. His mother and Yuzu had been practically identical to them. Ichigo didn't want to remember anything that happened but it was hard when his sister's face was shoved right up in front of him. His grandfather sensed the mood and cleared his throat.

"Anyway… Ichigo, the doctors said if you feel alright we can take you out of the hospital tomorrow as long as you come in to get a check up once a week until you've fully recovered. You can even go back to school on Monday if you feel up to it…" Ichigo glanced at his grand parents for a moment.

"That's fine…"


	4. Transfer student!

Chapter Four: Transfer student

Chapter Four: Transfer student!

"IIIcchhiigo, I'm so glad you're okay!" Keigo grabbed onto Ichigo before he could throw him away. Ichigo grunted.

"Keigo get the hell off of me! What did I tell you about doing this?" Keigo let go in a hurry.

"Right, my bad Ichigo! Anyway, you've still got to meet the new transfer student!" Ichigo sat down at his desk.

"A new transfer student arrived? Who cares Keigo? I'm not going to have anything to do with them anyway…"

"How can you be so cold Ichigo? Rukia's a wonderful girl!" Ichigo sighed at his friends actions. 'Rukia… That name sounds familiar…'

"Hello there! You must be Ichigo; Keigo's told me so much about you!" Ichigo stiffened. He'd heard that voice before. Ichigo gripped the desk tightly. 'It can't be her… She can't be here too…' Reluctantly he turned to look behind him, the short raven haired soul reaper smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, my name is Rukia Kuchiki!" She extended her hand to him and her sweet smile became a smirk.

_You're going to join us soon enough, until then I'll be watching you._

Ichigo's eyes widened as he read the writing on her hand. 'Damn her…' Keigo looked at him concerned.

"Are you alright Ichigo?" Ichigo turned back to stare at the desk.

"I'm fine Keigo…" The teacher walked into the room causing Keigo to let it drop.

…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…

"IIIcchhiigo! IIIcchhiigo!" Ichigo sighed as he leaned back against a wall. "IIIcchhiigo!"

"WHAT!" Keigo flinched at Ichigo's harsh tone.

"Relax man! What's with you today? You were so mean to Rukia… Well meaner than normal for you! I'm your best friend you can tell me anything!" Keigo began sobbing; Ichigo rolled his eyes and ignored him to eat his lunch.

"Ichigo…" Ichigo craned his head to look up at Chad.

"Mph… What…?"

"Do you know Rukia?" Keigo laughed.

"Don't be silly Chad! Rukia's only been in town for three days and Ichigo was in hospital or at home the entire time! Right Ichigo?" Ichigo stared down at his lunch for a moment.

"I don't know her…"

"See Chad! I mean why would a classy girl like Rukia know Ichigo?" Ichigo glared at Keigo.

"I _don't_ know her _but_ she's been following me everywhere I go for the last week!" Keigo and Chad looked at him in shock.

"Are you sure Ichigo?"

"Humph… I've caught her watching me through my window at night!" Ichigo viscously bit into his sandwich. "I'm having enough trouble sleeping as it is without her watching me constantly…" Ichigo coughed harshly causing blood to spill onto the floor.

"Ichigo… Ichigo!" Chad picked Ichigo up with ease as he passed out.

"Let's get him to the nurse's office!"

"O-okay…"

A small hand held onto Ichigo's collar pulling him through the air.

"What the hell do you think your doing you little midget? Put me back in my body right now!" Violet eyes glared at him.

"No!" Ichigo growled.

"Why the hell not?"

"We have orders, a hollow is about to attack a soul in a nearby park."

"Oh no listen here soul reaper! There is no 'we' here! There's no way I'm going to help you!" Rukia slid to a stop outside the park and threw Ichigo into the gate.

"You will help me! Listen boy, you may have escaped going directly to the society but you will work for us! It was decided that you may stay for a time until your powers fully manifest themselves. Until that happens you will be assisting me with whatever meagre powers you can use before going to the academy."

…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…Zangetsu…

A small boy's scream tore through the air. A spider like hollow chased him through the park.

"Somebody help me! Please!" Ichigo tried to run over to him but Rukia blocked his path.

"Get out of my way!"

"What do you think your doing? I thought you didn't want to be a soul reaper; you have no powers at all! If you wish to save this boy then awaken your soul reaper powers and accept your fate as a soul reaper!" Ichigo ground his teeth together. 'That little… I can't just watch him be devoured!'

Ichigo shoved Rukia out of the way and ran over to scope the boy into his arms and ran back in the direction away from the spider-like hollow.

Next Chapter: The mysterious woman Neliel!


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